If you answered f) all of the above, congratulations. You have passed Retail 101 and are ready for graduate-level coursework at the mall/e-commerce site of your choice.

Two of Colorado's leading retail analysts, Jon Schallert of the Schallert Group and Metro State marketing professor Darren Duber-Smith, help define concepts that will guide shoppers and merchants this year.

"We are still addicted to heavy promotions," Duber-Smith says. "This trend started with the recession and never let up."

Retailers are happy to oblige — or at least give the impression that they're offering big bargains.

"They're smarter now at getting consumers in the doors without killing their year-end profits," Schallert says. "There'll be deals structured to look great, but they've built extra profits into the products already."

Time is on your side. Check the calendar. If you hadn't noticed, Thanksgiving was Nov. 22. That makes for the longest possible period — 32 frenetic days — of shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Layaway is back. Several retailers have lowered or eliminated layaway fees in an effort to boost holiday sales. Will the strategy work?

"Consumers who use it aren't the huge economic groups who move the needle," says Schallert.

Polling firm BIGinsight reports that 12.3 percent of consumers plan to make layaway purchases, about the same level as last year. The top retail targets of layaway buyers are Walmart (65.5 percent), Kmart (42.2 percent) and Toys R Us (21.2 percent).

"Layaway will impact sales very little," Duber-Smith says. "Its return is a sign of high unemployment and stagnant consumer incomes."

Cybercompetition. Online shoppers accounted for about 40 percent of Black Friday weekend sales last year, a big jump from 23 percent in 2006. Cyber Monday sales will grow this year by 21 percent, according to IBIS World.

A rising issue is "showrooming" — the phenomenon of going to a store to check out products, then shopping online to find a better deal.

Retailers such as Target and Best Buy have rolled out price-matching offers to defend against the practice.

"Stores are fighting the showrooming problem," Duber-Smith says. "Everyone is integrating brick-and-mortar and online deals this year to combat Amazon and its ilk."

Rockies are on pace to lose 93 games this seasonThe Rockies lost three of four in St. Louis and are on pace to lose 93 games as they come home for a three-game series with Seattle before going back on the road again to face Washington.